Balancing wisdom and experience with runes

Usually in my rune teaching I focus on one rune, and its associated deity, a month. But I leave a few months free for whatever needs to come up. This month I had no pre-planned rune...

And so, I sat in the barns, taking some quiet time, working with my rune cards to see which rune felt right for this month. I shuffled my cards- and the card that I pulled was hagl (Heimdal). My heart sank a little, not a deity I am that happy to work with.

In the dance of chaos kreft (Loki) and structure hagl (Heimdall) I have grown too comfortable with chaos, and maybe even drama. My life has been big, and bold, chaotic – I have learnt to live with it. As a Tarot reader I always look at the card at the bottom of the pack, and there’s nothing wrong with transferring skills- so I looked. There it was, quietly waiting for me- the rune I wanted to work with Tyr.

So I put both cards out and sat with them.

For me Heimdall is all about teaching, structured wisdom, order. And Tyr is about truth.

Now in both of my worlds- Runes and Tarot these two can cause a problem.

There are a lot of people out there who have read a book or two, perhaps had a deep personal experience, and are now expressing their understanding, their truth, as a universal “the” truth.

This leads to teachers, books, blogs, defining a card or rune with little reference to where this understanding comes from, and leaving no room for the reader to have a different understanding or experience. A common plea from students is “each book says something totally different”, as readers are left confused by the lack of clarity between experience, opinion, and traditional wisdom. All valid- all different.

As the group arrived, and  we discussed the runes I was left with a dilemma. In the shamanic journeying normally we have one rune, one door that we journey through. Now I had two runes.

So I invited the group to allow the right rune to be seen on the door. As I led the journey I was hopeful- Tyr has been in my journeys a lot, was that  second rune for me?

No. As I looked at the door with my minds eye- it was hagl.

I journeyed to my tree, and Heimdall was sat by my fire. There was some glaring, I’m rather used to Frey sat there if I’m honest. But my job is to learn and grow – so I sat with him. Nothing much was said, sometimes silence is a useful space. In time we got up and walked on. Walking through the wild green woods, path after path after path. The silence became companiable, until in time we stopped.

Heimdall turned to me, stood behind me, and put his hands heavily on my shoulders. I had a moment of pure panic- I detest hands near my neck-old memories- and I had to breathe deeply to trust. I’m not sure what happened, I was deeply grounded, and something deeply traumatic was removed- all in the same moment. Then he removed his hands, we chatted quietly about working together more, and gently ambled back to my tree.

Its strange to bring my deep journey to words, and I imagine even stranger to read it.

Was it a deeply meditative state- me working through issues in my subconscious?

Was it a shamanic experience with my connecting to a deity who names himself Heimdall?

I believe the latter, though what really matters is how it impacts my life.

Listening to the others who journeyed there were some similar themes- of past trauma and a release some how found in the journey.

And I am left- reflecting on how my month had foreshadowed this journey.

I have been obsessively organising my home- with an unusual desire to be minimalist and well organised (not my natural nature at all).

And I have been delving deep into where the authentic sources are for the meanings of the runes. Following the trail of why so many people are focused the Elder Futhark, a system based on a reconstructed Proto- Germanic language with no core documents to work with.

I'm in awe yet again of how deep a little chanting in an old barn can go- when shared with the right people. This is a space where experience and personal truth is the focus, though we base ourselves on the wisdom of the Younger Futhark runes.

Looking to learn more about the runes? I have a page for each rune right here: Learn the runes | maddy-elruna-tarot (maddyelruna.co.uk)